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NASA Scientific Balloons

NASA's scientific balloon program is managed out of the agency's Wallops Flight Facility.

  • Second NASA Balloon Mission Launches from Fort Sumner

    The CLIC 2 mission was hand launched on a scientific balloon from NASA's launch facility in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, at 7:16 a.m. MDT (9:16 a.m. EDT). The balloon is the second flight for the Compact Large-sensor Imaging Camera mission, carrying a small camera system that can process images in real-time to help determine safe landing spots for rovers for future Moon or Mars missions. The balloon and payload reached a float altitude of around 126,000 feet, and flew for a total of 3 hours, 41 minutes. 

  • NASA Launches First Scientific Balloon of Fort Sumner Campaign

    A scientific balloon is partially inflated on the right with the mobile launch vehicle carrying a payload on the left.

    The Salter Test Flight launched at 8:31 a.m. MDT (10:31 a.m. EDT) Saturday, Aug. 22 from the agency’s balloon launch facility in Fort Sumner, marking the first successful scientific balloon flight of the campaign. The balloon and payload reached a float altitude of around 123,000 feet, and flew for a total of 4 hours, 8 […]

  • NASA Scientific Balloons Prepare for 2026 Fort Sumner Campaign 

    Aerial view of a high-altitude scientific balloon launch preparation in a desert setting at sunset. The white balloon is partially inflated and tethered to a launch vehicle, with support vehicles and personnel positioned around the launch area on a cracked desert surface

    A NASA Scientific Balloon Program annual campaign is getting ready to take flight at the agency’s balloon launch facility in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Six balloon flights carrying scientific experiments, technology demonstrations, and student payloads are scheduled to launch starting in mid-August.  This year’s campaign marks the 20th flight for the High-Altitude Student Platform carrying payloads developed by student teams. Over the course […]

  • NASA Completes Latest Scientific Balloon Campaign From Antarctica

    A white scientific balloon rises into the bright blue sky above snowy Antarctica. The sky and the balloon take up most of the image, with the ground only being a small white stripe at the bottom of the photo. The balloon has a long white "tail" with orange and black portions.

    NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program has completed four successful Antarctica flights during a long-duration campaign that began in early December. The balloons launched from the agency’s facility located near the U.S. National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station on the Ross Ice Shelf.   The General AntiParticle Spectrometer (GAPS) balloon lifted off Dec. 15. The GAPS payload is an experiment designed to detect anti-matter particles entering Earth’s atmosphere to help reveal the origin of dark matter — an invisible […]

  • Second Scientific Balloon for NASA Launches from Antarctica

    A large metal scientific instrument that is mainly white with black panels is suspended off the ground by a large crane. A white trail of material is on the ground and attaches to a partially inflated white balloon in the background on a snowy landscape.

    The second scientific balloon flight for NASA’s Antarctic scientific balloon campaign has reached its float altitude of 120,000 feet after lifting off from the agency’s facility located near the U.S. National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station on the Ross Ice Shelf at 5:56 a.m. NZST, Saturday, Dec. 20 (11:56 a.m., Friday, Dec. 19 in U.S. Eastern […]

  • First NASA Scientific Balloon Launches from Antarctica

    A man in a yellow safety vest looks at a scientific balloon in the distance. In the foreground is the GAPS payload hanging from a crane preparing for launch.

    The first scientific balloon flight of this year’s NASA Antarctica Balloon Campaign reached its float altitude after lifting off from the agency’s facility located near the U.S. National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station on the Ross Ice Shelf at 5:30 a.m. NZST, Tuesday, Dec 16 (11:30 a.m., Monday, Dec. 15 in U.S. Eastern Time). The balloon […]

  • Two NASA Scientific Balloon Launches Planned From Antarctica

    A large scientific balloon payload is being lifted by a black crane against a bright blue Antarctic sky. The payload consists of multiple tiers of white protective panels or covers arranged in a cylindrical configuration, with solar panels visible on the top section and various antennas protruding upward. The equipment is suspended by cables and positioned over a wheeled transport cart on the snow-covered ground. A technician in a bright yellow safety vest operates the crane from an elevated platform on the left side of the image

    NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program is back in Antarctica for another long-duration scientific balloon campaign, with two launches planned from the icy surface. Launch operations will begin early December from the agency’s facility located near the U.S. National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station on the Ross Ice Shelf. To follow the missions, visit NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon […]

  • New Mexico Scientific Balloon Campaign Update – Sept. 19

    A large white scientific balloon in the shape of an upside down tear drop floats high in a bright blue sky with wispy white clouds, suspended by a long tether line connected to a white vehicle with a crane visible on the ground below in an open field. The crane is holding the BOOP experiment.

    NASA’s Balloon Program Office launched the sixth scientific balloon flight for the fall 2025 campaign. The Balloon Program Office, Optimization Opportunity Payload (BOOP) mission launched at 9:44 a.m. EDT (7:44 a.m. MDT) on Sept. 19. The balloon and payload reached a float altitude of 114,000 feet and flew for 4 hours, 44 minutes. BOOP is […]

  • New Mexico Scientific Balloon Campaign Update – Sept. 15

    The Electron Losses driven by VLF EmissionS (ELVES) mission launched at 10:04 a.m. EDT (8:04 a.m. MDT) on Sept. 15, 2025. The balloon and payload reached a float altitude of 125,000 feet and flew for 8 hours, 12 minutes. The experiment includes multiple detection methods for both Very Low Frequency (VLF) emissions and electron precipitation, including magnetometers, x-ray detectors, and cosmic noise absorption measurements, advancing our understanding of radiation belt dynamics and ionospheric interactions.

    To follow the missions in the 2025 Fort Sumner campaign, visit NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility website for real-time updates of balloons’ altitudes and locations during flight.

    A large scientific balloon being inflated with helium during launch preparations, with ground crew and support vehicles visible below against a clear blue sky
    UCLA's ELVES (Electron Losses driven by VLF Emissions) scientific balloon during inflation on September 15, 2025, at Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The balloon carried instruments to study electron precipitation in the upper atmosphere.
    NASA/ Patrick Rogers

  • New Mexico Scientific Balloon Campaign Update – Sept. 14

    NASA launched two scientific balloon missions from the agency’s Fort Sumner, New Mexico, launch facility Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. This marks the first time two scientific balloons were launched on the same day since 2011.

    The JPL-Remote mission launched at 10:12 a.m. EDT (8:12 a.m. MDT) Sept. 14, 2025. The balloon and payload reached a float altitude of 127,000 feet and flew for 12 hours, 58 minutes. The mission’s main goal is to measure how different gases are layered in Earth’s atmosphere to check satellite data and track long-term changes since 1989.

    The Cosmic Dust Collection Project (CDCP) mission launched at 12:10 p.m. EDT (10:10 a.m. MDT). The balloon and payload reached a float altitude of 125,000 feet and flew for 8 hours, 36 minutes. The mission’s aimed to capture cosmic dust at different altitudes in Earth’s atmosphere to study how much of this dust has contaminated the stratosphere.

    To follow the missions in the 2025 Fort Sumner campaign, visit NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility website for real-time updates of balloons’ altitudes and locations during flight.

    A NASA scientific balloon inflating behind a white truck during launch operations, with the balloon glowing in the sunlight against a cloudy sky.
    Launch preparations for the JPL-REMOTE payload showing the scientific balloon during inflation phase. The balloon rises behind the launch support truck as part of standard balloon mission operations.
    NASA